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Music Season
Quicksilver movements
TULSI BADRINATH
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With confidence and verve, Alarmel Valli breezed through her programme.
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ALARMEL VALLI
"Diwakara," the invocation to Sun God is a demanding item, combining both nritta and abhinaya. Alarmel Valli lost no time in creating images of the sun rising, its rays streaming outwards touching the earth awakening the lotus flowers. The Ragamalika varnam was addressed to Shiva. The nayika, longing for her Lord, sees him everywhere — as the dancing Nataraja or the blue-throated Nilakanta, the Lord of Chidambaram. Spring is a time of yearning, and this was evoked beautifully to raga Vasantham.
In the theermanams, danced in Valli's own style, the dancer flitted across the stage like quicksilver. When movements are executed with such confidence and vivacious breeziness, any discussion on individualistic approach or elisions in nritta becomes infructuous. It is more meaningful to assess the impact created by the artiste and it is here that Valli scored, a fact reinforced by a packed sabha.
Two elegies from the Purananooru introduced the idea of a battlefield strewn with dead bodies. A woman lamented over a young, slain chieftain, wondering how his mother would bear the news of his death. The second poem addressed the jasmine creeper, in which the sap of life was intact, and from which heady perfume bloomed, even as maidens wept for their departed relatives. While with the help of Subhapantuvarali and Darbari Kanada the idea of loss was conveyed adequately, the bhava of both the dancer and singer did not plumb the depths of despair. The `Tree Song' from "Nattrinai," evidence of complete identification of man with nature found in Sangam poetry, introduced the idea of tree as a sister. This poem was vividly brought to life by Valli. C.K. Vasudevan was dignified on the nattuvangam. Latha Ramchand's singing was of quality. Shaktivel Muruganandam's skills on the mridangam were compelling. Ranjani Ramakrishnan, violin, and Srinivasan, flute, enhanced the music.
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